Timer for gas engines



May 6 {1924. 1,493,002

P. L. OBRIEN .7

TIMER FOR GAS ENGINES Filed March 22 1922 Hill amvcmtoz FLiZzplQB/uien Num I mm.

Patented May 6, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP L. OBRIEN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESN E ASSIGN-MENTS, TO LOWELL TIMER COMPANY, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

TIMER FOR GAS ENGINES.

Application filed March 22, 1922.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, PHILIP L. OBRmN, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Timers forGas Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a timer which will be durableand reliable in operation and simple and efficient in construction andpositive in its action. This object is accomplished by my invention, oneembodiment of which is hereinafter more particularly set forth.

For a more detail description of my invention, reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which- Figure 1 isa sectional view of a timer embodying my improvement, and

Figure 2 is a sectional view, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, lookingin the direction of the arrows.

Throughout the various views of the drawings, similar referencecharacters designate similar parts.

My improved timer 1 has a casing 2 adjacent to the end of a suitableshaft 3 of a gasoline engine of the explosive type which is supposed torun continuously and synchronously with the main shaft of the engine.This casing 2 has a number of insulated and fixed contacts 4 which areconnected to the spark plugs of an engine in the conventional manner.This casing 2 may be shifted in the usual way so as to provide for theproper functioning of the apparatus.

The shaft 3 carries a bushing 5 which is fixed thereon as by a set screw6, or in any other suitable manner, and this bushing carries a flange 7which is preferably made integral therewith and onthis flange is a pin 8which carries a rocker 9 which is preferably shaped, as shown. One arm10 of this rocker 9 carries a spring pressed contact plug 11 of theconventional kind and the other end 12 carries a fibre plug 13 and thisend 12 is pressed by a leaf spring which is fixed by a. screw or othersuitable means 15 to the bushing 5.

hen the shaft 3 turns, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 1, the plug11 leads the Serial No. 545,768.

plug 13 and these plugs are preferably placed so that their angulardistance is a little over one hundred degrees so that as this shaft 3revolves, the contacts 4 will be wiped by the plug 11 with a make andbreak on each contact 4, which will cause a good and proper spark toimmediately be made in the engine, whereby the best results are secured.If desired, the arm 9 may be reversed and the plug 13 made to lead andthe plug 11 to follow. Whichever way this device is used, a good, clean,sharp break will result from the structure above described, as the plug13 is the dominant plug because it is pressed by the spring 14 against acontact a, and therefore it will cause the plug 11 to engage anotherplug it and dis-engage, as above set forth. In other words, the plug 13acts as a cam to govern the movement of the plug 11, the contacts 4being the surfaces against which the plug 13 engages. Furthermore, theplug 13 will wipe the contact surfaces of the plugs 4 and keep themclean. All these advantages cooperate to produce the desirable results,above described.

Vhile I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, its isobvious that it is not to be restricted thereto, but that it is broadenough to cover all structures that come within the scope of the annexedclaims.

Having thus described my what I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a stationary casing with fixedcontacts mounted therein, a shaft adapted to be driven in properrelation to the speed of an engine, means for pivotally mounting arocker in proper relation to said shaft, said rocker being provided withan electric circuit closing contact at one end and an insulated contactat the other, and means for pressing the insulated contact against thefixed contacts so that the circuits will be abruptly broken when themovable elec tric contact leaves the fixed contacts.

2. In a device of the class described, a stationary casing having anumber of contacts with inclined faces at one end, a shaft having aflange fixed thereon, a pin fixed in said flange, a rocker pivotallymounted on said pin and provided with a contact making contact at oneend and an invention,

insulated contact at the other and a spring connecting said shaft andthe end of the rocker with the insulated contact.

8. In a device of the class described, a stationary casing with a seriesof fixed contacts mounted therein, a rocker and means for mounting thesame so that it Will shift adjacent to said fixed contacts, a circuit.closing device atone end of said rocker and a guiding and insulatingsubstance at the other end of said rocker and means for pressing saidguiding and insulating substance against the fixed contacts so thatelectric circuits may be abruptly made and broken by the contact carriedbysaidrocker. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 20day of March, 1922.

PHILIP .L. OBRIEN.

